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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24535606">Chin Up, Buttercup</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fucker/pseuds/fucker'>fucker</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Law &amp; Order: SVU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Light Petting, M/M, Mild Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:21:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,216</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24535606</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fucker/pseuds/fucker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Everybody has rough days; Sonny's no exception.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Chin Up, Buttercup</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/mforpaul/gifts">mforpaul</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A gift from <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/nevadatrash">nevadatrash</a>.</p><p>I hope this isn't <i>too</i> soft 💀</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You alright in there?" Rafael tapped gently on the bathroom door, where Sonny had been locked in for the better part of an hour. "Can I get you anything?"</p><p>"No, I'm..." Loud rustling drowned out the rest of Sonny's sentence, but the lock clicked a second later and the door opened just a hair, one blue eye peering through the crack at Rafael. "I'm fine. Don't laugh, okay?"</p><p>"Laugh?"</p><p>"<em>Don't</em>."</p><p>"Okay, okay," Rafael raised both hands to shoulder level in a pacifying gesture. "I won't laugh, I swear."</p><p>The door swung open to reveal a slightly ruffled, boxers-clad Sonny, one towel slung around his neck and another in his hand. A very damp, very unhappy, very <em> yellow </em> Sonny. His hair was a garish color somewhere between mustard and dandelion, as were his fingertips, and both towels were sporting splotchy stains in a matching shade.</p><p>"Well..." Rafael looked him up and down, side to side, trying his best to keep a straight face. "You did a good job with the front."</p><p>"Is something wrong with the back?"</p><p>"...No."</p><p>"<em>Barba, what's wrong with the back?!</em>"</p><p>Rafael took a step back for his own safety before breaking into a grin. "Nothing, I'm kidding. Can I ask you a question, though?"</p><p>"Fine."</p><p>"Who, um... suggested that color?"</p><p>"It's bad, isn't it." Sonny hung his head, brushed past Rafael in the doorway, and plopped down on the edge of the bed with his chin in his hands and such a comically dejected look on his face that Rafael had to stifle a giggle. </p><p>"Hey, look on the bright side, it could be worse. I always did have a thing for the cowardly lion, you know."</p><p>"<em>Not funny, Barba</em>."</p><p>"It's a<em> little </em> funny." Unfazed by Sonny's scowl, Rafael settled next to him on the bed and mussed his hair affectionately.</p><p>"No it isn't," Sonny muttered, but his frown softened just a bit.</p><p>"Next time maybe say something?" Rafael suggested gently. "I do have a <em> tiny </em> bit of experience matching shades, you know." He ran a hand through his own hair to illustrate, though he'd long since let the natural grey grow back in. </p><p>"I should have. I'm sorry, Raf, I look like a fucking clown." Sonny rubbed a hand over his face with a heavy sigh. "I just hate the grey, you know? It makes me look old."</p><p>"Old? Look at me." Rafael took Sonny by the shoulders and shook him gently until he reluctantly glanced up from the floor. "The grey makes you look<em> distinguished</em>. I hate you for it, but you've looked thirty for the last ten years, Sonny. I watched you get carded three months ago, at a damn Seven-Eleven of all places."</p><p>"I wish I could pull it off like you do, though." Sonny traced Rafael's hairline to just above his ear, then ran his fingers through the hair at his temple where the silver was most pronounced. "Like, I don't know, a... a sea captain. Or the history professor that everyone wants to bang."</p><p>Rafael had to smile at that. "Thank you, I appreciate the very, very specific compliment."</p><p>Sonny shrugged sheepishly, hit with a slight feeling of guilt over the fact that he wasn't as eloquent as Rafael; that he couldn't always find the words to pay him the compliments he truly deserved. </p><p>"Should I be reading into it?"</p><p>"Into what?"</p><p>Rafael plucked his reading glasses from the nightstand and balanced them low on his nose, peering at Sonny over the thick rims. "Your paper on Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan was glaringly under-researched, and your sources were—"</p><p>"Cut it out, Raf." Sonny rolled his eyes and carefully removed Rafael's glasses, trying to ignore the sudden rush of heat that had come with that suggestion, flooding his belly and rising high on his cheeks.</p><p>Falling back into the sheets with a grin, Rafael slid an arm around Sonny's waist and tucked four fingers into the waistband of his boxers, dragging his thumb slowly, suggestively down the length of the younger man's happy trail. "What do you think, do you want to turn this D into an A plus?"</p><p>"You wish you were funny." Sonny was unable to keep himself from smiling, even as he smacked Rafael gently across the ribs. </p><p>"I am funny. C'mere." Rafael pulled him down onto his chest and kissed his forehead, wrapping an arm around Sonny as he nuzzled his way into the crook of his neck. "Your hair looks fine, I promise. Me? I love the grey, but it's not my hair. If you hate it then why don't we go online and pick out a color that's a little more natural?"</p><p>"You're not just saying that?"</p><p>"When am I ever just saying that?"</p><p>Sonny thought for a long moment, then pressed a soft kiss to the underside of Rafael's jaw. "I guess it can stay."</p><p>"Sonny, you don't have to—"</p><p>"Well don't talk me back out of it <em> now</em>, Raf." Sonny kissed him again, less chaste this time and with just enough tongue to be a tease. "If you like it then I like it."</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>He didn't answer, but instead dragged his tongue along the curve of Rafael's ear, sucked gently at his ear lobe, and continued down the side of his neck, drawing a small, surprised moan from Rafael. Sonny hummed happily in response, propped himself up on one elbow and hiked Rafael's tee up to expose his chest, tracing slow, teasing circles around one hard nipple as his mouth became more insistent against Rafael's throat.</p><p>"If I'd known that hair dye gets you in the mood, I would've taken advantage a long time ago," Rafael teased, earning himself a well-placed bite below the ear for his efforts.</p><p>"Wasn't the hair dye talk."</p><p>"No?"</p><p>"Nope."</p><p>Sonny deliberately sucked a light bruise into the hollow at the base of Rafael's neck before moving on to his chest, only pausing to push himself to his knees and straddle one solid thigh. He bent to kiss a trail down Rafael's sternum, both hands diligently working at his nipples until Rafael arched against his mouth with a quiet curse. Satisfied and a bit smug at getting a reaction so easily, Sonny kept his hands where they were but inched further down the bed, gently tugging at Rafael's nipples as he placed a single, dirty kiss just above the waistband of his jeans. </p><p>Rafael's hips left the bed for a moment as he groaned and flexed. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked, unable to keep himself from egging Sonny on despite his own rapidly dwindling self-control. </p><p>"Mmm." His face still buried in Rafael's belly, Sonny dug blindly around in the blankets until he found what he was looking for. "Put these back on."</p><p>Rafael's face split into a grin as he was presented with his glasses, but he slid them on without comment, his stomach tightening as Sonny looked up at him with an expression that instantly changed from playful to hungry. </p><p>"That's better." Sonny palmed himself roughly, as much for Rafael's benefit as his own, and slid off the bed onto his knees. He made quick work of Rafael's fly, tugging it wide open and licking the length of his semi through his briefs. "I changed my mind, I want that A plus."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please feel free to <a href="https://fuckerao3.tumblr.com/ask">message</a> or <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/message/fuckerao3">DM</a> me with questions, suggestions, or requests (no promises), or if you'd like to beta!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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